Raid teams get ‘rough treatment’

Usually when a raid team cracks down on unauthorised clinics, quacks are at the receiving end. But on Sunday, it was different. Health officials were surrounded by an angry mob when they started checking documents at Jai Hindi Clinic and Sinha Maternity Home in Bijnore Market area of Sarojini Nagar. Not only this, a sub-inspector had to wield his pistol to rescue them!

“We were gheraoed by a group of people as we started seeing papers at these clinics. Despite telling them that it was a routine check to nail quacks, they forced us to leave,” said a doctor who was part of the team conducting the raids.

“They refused to l i sten to us and we had to call the police. Even that didn’t work until a cop took out his service revolver and gave a warning by wielding it in the air,” he added.

As part of a drive against quacks, several teams were sent by the CMO to Sarojini Nagar, Itaunja and Madiaon. They raided 36 clinics/hospitals, but poor coordination with the police and district administration landed these teams in trouble at several places.

“Quacks running hospitals in and around the state capital work in gangs. When our staff went to check their records, they simply hounded the officials,” said chief medical officer, (CMO) Lucknow, Dr SNS Yadav who started a fresh campaign against quacks from Saturday.

Seth Clinic, Chandsi Dawakhana, Jai Hind Clinic, Sinha Maternity Home and Gita Nursing Home in Sarojini Nagar were served notices after the raids.

They were asked to furnish documents related to the hospital and doctors working there. If documents are not provided, action would be taken against these establishments.

In Madiaon, the team went to Shalini Hospital and Kidwai Clinic where Dr MK Singh and Dr Roohi could not produce relevant documents.

They were asked to bring required documents to the Chief Medical Officer’s office.

Raids were also conducted at Get Well Clinic, SS Hospital, Shahr Hospital. The team faced resistance at all these hospitals and cops had to be called for help.